1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an arrow guiding means for guiding arrows as the bow is drawn and as the arrow is released.
More particularly this invention relates to the arrow guiding means described above wherein the arrow guides are silent running bearings having a sound damping wrap secured around the arrow contacting surfaces of the bearings.
Still more particularly, this invention relates to the arrow guiding means described above wherein the arrow guides are mounted on adjustable mounts that permit the positioning on the arrow guides relative to the bow and relative to each other to provide adjustment for bow configuration and arrow diameters.
Still more particularly this invention relates to the arrow guiding means described above wherein the adjustable mounts are provided with a spring biasing means that will return the mounts to a preset position if they should be knocked out of position during transport or use.
2. Description of the Related Art
The bow hunting art abounds in arrow guides and rests for positioning an arrow during bow draw and arrow release.
One of the problems solved by this invention is that of sounds produced during arrow draw and release. Many game species have hearing that is acutely tuned to sounds such as those made by drawing an arrow along a guide. It is known in the art to pad an arrow guide with felts and other sound damping material. Fixed guides that are covered with sound damping material still produce some sounds during arrow draw and release.
Another problem solved by the guide of this invention is related to the bending of arrows during initial release. An arrow bends during the acceleration following the release of the bowstring. It is known in the art to provide v-shaped guides or v-shaped roller guides to insure that the arrow bending does not result in displacing the path of the arrow flight to the side. These v-shaped guides often are not adjustable to allow for the differing locations above the v-guide of the centers of arrows of differing diameter.
Another problem solved by the guide of this invention is related to misaligned guides. The sighting and guide components of hunting weapons are subject to being knocked out of alignment during transport and use due to falling or dropping or rough contact with objects. It is the lament of many a nimrod that a sight foiled his chance at a trophy or by a guide means that was knocked from alignment and went unnoticed until after the fact of a failure.
Another problem solved by the guide of this invention is that of providing a guide means that is adjustable to fit on a diversity of bows. Hunting bows come in many configurations and usually come with an arrow guide means incorporated into the structure of the bow. Alternative guide means need to be versatile to be able to be positioned and adjusted to accommodate to the differing dimensions of hunting bows.
Another problem solved by the guide of this invention relates to sounds produced by arrows being guided by roller guides. Rotating guides made of hard rubber; plastic, or metal make sounds as they roll along an arrow shaft. Such sounds are detectable by game animals.
One or more of the problems listed above are found in the following patents which represent the most relevant prior art known to the inventor at the time of preparation of this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 221 to Peck discloses two spring biased laterally displaceable elements of metal or durable plastic that form a v-shaped guide that responds to the bending of the arrow during the propelling of the arrow from the bow. These guides produce detectable sounds in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,383 to Halamay discloses three, spring-biased rollers mounted on axles and having depressions therein that engage the shaft of an arrow and respond to the bending of the arrow during release. The three rollers serve to center the shafts of arrows of various diameters between the rollers. These guides produce detectable sounds in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,061 to Gunter discloses an arrow support having two plastic rollers supported on pivot shafts in roller support arms which are adjustably mounted in posts which are secured in a support base in a way that the positions of the rollers so that they can be adjusted to accommodate to arrows of differing diameters. These guides produce detectable sounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,201 to Tepper et al discloses the use of very narrow low friction tired wheels of hard rubber to reduce the drag on the arrow as it passes over the guides. These guides produce detectable sounds.
The prior art does not provide an arrow guide that is silent during the draw and release of an arrow.
The prior art does not provide an arrow guide that has adjustable stops and spring biasing such that the guide is resiliently displaceable and self-repositioning.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an arrow guide that is silent during draw and release of an arrow.
It is further an object of this invention to provide the arrow guide described above wherein the arrow guide is resiliently displaceable and self-repositioning.
It is further, an object of this invention to provide the arrow guide as described above that is adjustable for accurate positioning on many different bow structures.
Further objects will become apparent from the following specifications and claims.
An arrow guide comprising: a mounting arm which is adjustably securable to a bow, a mounting shaft passing through the mounting arm and the mounting shaft is translatable and rotatable relative to the mounting arm, guide supports having mounting ends secured to the mounting shaft and free ends projecting outward from said shaft and lying in the same plane with each other, disk shaped silent running roller guides mounted on the free ends of the mounting arms so that the planes of rotation of the roller guides intersect at a line that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of an arrow resting in the v-shaped guide formed by the outer peripheries of the guides, sound muffling material secured to the outer peripheries of the guides, a coil compression spring encircling the mounting shaft and having one end secured in the mounting arm and one end secured in the guide support nearest the mounting arm, a translational stop secured to the mounting shaft and said stop is maintained in contact with the mounting arm by the resilience of the coil spring and, a rotational stop secured to the mounting arm which is maintained in contact with a stop on the mounting shaft by rotational tension in the coil spring.